PART I.—­THE LIFE HISTORY OF THE BISON

    I. Discovery of the species
   ii.  Geographical distribution
  III.  Abundance
   iv.  Character of the species
        1.  The buffalo’s rank amongst ruminants
        2.  Change of form in captivity
        3.  Mounted specimens in museums
        4.  The calf
        5.  The yearling
        6.  The spike bull
        7.  The adult bull
        8.  The cow in the third year
        9.  The adult cow
       10.  The “Wood” or “Mountain Buffalo”
       11.  The shedding of the winter pelage
    V. Habits of the buffalo
   VI.  The food of the buffalo
  VII.  Mental capacity and disposition of the buffalo
 VIII.  Value to mankind
   ix.  Economic value of the bison to Western
       cattle-growers
        1.  The bison in captivity and domestication
        2.  Need of an improvement in range cattle
        3.  Character of the buffalo-domestic hybrid
        4.  The bison as a beast of burden
        5.  List of bison herds and individuals
           in captivity

PART II.—­THE EXTERMINATION

I. Causes of the extermination
ii.  Methods of slaughter
1.  The “still hunt”
2.  The chase on horseback
3.  Impounding
4.  The surround
5.  Decoying and driving
6.  Hunting on snow-shoes
III.  Progress of the extermination
A. The period of desultory destruction
B. The period of systematic slaughter
1.  The Red River half-breeds
2.  The country of the Sioux
3.  Western railways, and their part
in the extermination of the buffalo
4.  The division of the universal herd
5.  The destruction of the southern herd
6.  Statistics of the slaughter
7.  The destruction of the northern herd
iv.  Legislation to prevent useless slaughter
V. Completeness of the wild buffalo’s extirpation
VI.  Effects of the disappearance of the bison
VII.  Preservation of the species from absolute extinction

PART III.—­THE SMITHSONIAN EXPEDITION FOR SPECIMENS

I. The exploration for specimens
ii.  The hunt
III.  The mounted group in the National Museum

INDEX

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Group of buffaloes in the National Museum
Head of bull buffalo
Slaughter of buffalo on Kansas Pacific Railroad
Buffalo cow, calf, and yearling
Spike bull
Bull buffalo
Bull buffalo, rear view
The development of the buffalo’s horns
A dead bull
Buffalo skinners at work
Five minutes’ work
Scene on the northern buffalo range
Half-breed calf
Half-breed buffalo (domestic) cow
Young half-breed bull
The still-hunt
The chase on horseback
Cree Indians impounding buffalo
The surround
Indians on snow-shoes hunting buffaloes
Where the millions have gone
Trophies of the hunt